Fully “Eqwipped” to See the Heat

About this technology

Overview

Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory over the past decade with an excess of $15 million of government research and development investment, quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) are infrared imaging sensors that can operate in the long wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, where objects at an ambient temperature emit the most energy. QWIPTECH was formed in July 1998 to offer JPL's QWIPs in a commercial format. The company currently holds an exclusive worldwide license to manufacture and sell the infrared photodetector sensors as part of a focal plane array called a QWIP Chip.T The QWIP Chip provides high thermal sensitivity (0.001 oC) and possesses a broad dynamic range, permitting precise observations over a wide range of temperatures. Since the technology uses heat rather than light, it can see" in complete darkness and through conditions such as dust smoke and light fog."